Coupler for train lines



Jan.` 22, 1929. v 1,699,787

W. T. GRAY COUPLER FOR TRAIN LINES Filed Jan. 11. 19225 2 Sheets-Sheet lv 4 JZELBIBS '35 '35| I3 l? l5 w l lv V 254 \-r4f\4 #414 4 30 SH/ WITNESSES; z8 la?) z8 INVENTOR @l/e M willig". T Gray.

I ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1929.

w. T. GRAY COUPLERFOR TRAIN LINES Filed Jan. 11. '1923 '2 Sheets-Shget 2 INVENTOR Wrlllarn T51/Graf ATTRNEY wnNEssEs; f M

Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED s'rATlais PATENT OFFICE.

GRAY, or TIirrEnLEY, CHESTER, ENGLAND, AssrGNon To WEST- rNGHoUsEELEcTBIc a HANUFAGTUEING comrANY, A conronATIoN or PENN- SYLVANIA,

Application iiled January 11, 1923, Serial No. 811,987, and in Great Britain January 1i, 1982.-

My invention relatesv to couplers 'or jump- A ers for the' train lines or conductors between the units of electrical trains and it has special relation to couplers for train lines o r conductors carrying current at high voltage.

An object of my invention is to provide a-` vide means Ain the receptacle of the jumper whereby the energization of the train line cannot be eiected until the jumper connection has been made amide-ener ization of the train line will be effected jumper can be disconnected.

Another object of my invention is to provide means actuated by the disconnection of any jumper for de-energizing the-entire train line in a system of control for train-lines wherein the train line is composed of separate sections connected together by a.

jumper device and each section is separately energized from a common supply conductor.

Further objects,as well as details of construction whereby my invention may be utilized, will become evident from the accom# panying drawings, in which Fi ure 1v is a sectional side elevation of a coup er receptacle and jumper head,

Fig. 2 is a front view of the receptacle, partly broken, away,

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a train-line system in which my invention maybe employed,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modification of my invention,

Fig. 5 is a planviewofaportion of the device shown in Fig.I 4, and

. Fig.l 6 is a diagrammatic representation of theftrain-line system in which the system shown in Fig. 4' may be employed.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the structure here shown comprises receptacle 1 cfa coupling. that is mounted ,upon the end of a coach or unit of an electric l train and that contains acoupling member Zisuchas a split vplug or thelike, which is dis osed in a mounting 3 of insulating maefore the'- *back of the casing the head 4 of an insulated coupler or jumper conductor 5. The jumper head 4 carries a connectingsocket 57 which is disposed in'a mounting 6 of insulating material and is adapted to receive the plug.2'. The parts so far described may be of any desired construction and, since they form no part of the present invention, a detailed description thereof is considered unnecessary.

vThe receptacle 1 is .provided with a boxlike ca sing 7, which is preferably integral therewith and located at the upper front end of the receptacle and provided with a removable lid 8, which may be secured to the casing 7 by screws 9, or in any other convenient manner.

The jumperhead 4 is provided with a lateral projection 10 (see Fig. 2), and the front extension ofthe receptacle 1 is provided with an internal longitudinal groove 11, which will permit the jumper head 4 to be inserted in the receptacle 1 when the projection 10 is registered with the groove 11. A slot 12vis formed through the lower wall of the boxlike casing 7, the vsaid slot crossing the groove 11- at the inner end of the latter and constituting, in conjunction with the slot, a joint or fastening of the bayonet-socket type. Within the box-like casin 7 is mounted a control switch device that 1s adapted to be operated by the projection 10 when the jumper head 4`is placed within the rece tacle and given a final rotary movement. T e controlswitch shown comprises a. pair of parallel stationary contact members 13 andv l cuit wires or conductors connected to the contact` members -13 and 14 may be brought through the'opening58 that is provided in the The parallel contactmembers .13 'and 14 are adapted to be bridged by means of a movable contact member 17 in the form of a cross bar and mounted upon a block 18 of insulat ingv material that iscarried upon a rod 19, which is secured between the side walls of the casing 7. The block 18 is adapted to slide on the rod 19 in a transverse direction. The

tact members 13and 14iwill be disconnected.V

, A s ring is interposed between the block 18 "and t e right-hand wall of the casing 7 to maintain the bal1 17 normally in the left-hand position, wherein the contact members l13 and 14are disconnected. The block 18 is provided, on` its under side, with a pair of lugs 22 and 23, which pass into the slot 12 and lie l in the path ofthe projection upon the `jumper head 4. Thel arrangement is such that, ,dvhen the said head is rotatively 'actuated, the block 18 will be reciprocated along thef. Arod 19, and the contact members 13I and 14 will be either bridge or disconnected,'accord j ing to the movements imparted to thejumper head. Thus, when thevjumper `head is actu-` A ated in a clockwise direction,

j (Fig. 2), the contactv members .13 and. 14 will be bridged, so that the control switch will be closed, and this result will be effected against the action of:

the spring 2l. j y l With this arrangement, in withdrawing thev jumper head' 4, the latter must be first actuated in a counter-clockwise direction, thus opening thecontrol switch andreleasing the jumper-head fastening, the lspring 21 assisting the movement. In the event of the spring 21 becoming inoperative for any reason, the projection 10 on the jumper head will engage :the left-hand projection 22 on the block 18 and will positively open the switch. ,y In order to prevent Ythespring 21 from rotating the jumper head 4.when the latter has been properly inserted 4in the receptacle- 1, and the control switch closed, a projection- 24 may be provided on the exterior of theA jumper head 4, and a co-operating projection 25 provided uponthe usualhinged lid or cover 26 i of the receptacle 1. When the jumper is removed, the cover or lid 26 normally vcloses the I nouth of `the receptacle 1, and when the jumper head 4 is inserted into the receptacle, the lid or cover 26 must necessarily be open. After the head 4,has been rotated to close the control switch and fasten the, coupling, the said' lid or cover 26 may be' dropped so that the projection 25 engages the left hand side of the projection 24 and -thereby prevents counterclockwi'se rotation of the .jumper head. The latter may be readily released by raising the lid or cover 26.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the jum ers of a three-coach or three-unit train are indicated diagrammaticallv at 5 and the control-Y -tional couplers or jumpers conductors 28, the

contactor switches30 may be controlled ,pneusaid circuit containing the actuating coils 29 ofcontactor switches 30, of which there is one in each coach or unit of the train.

At the ends of the train, the vcircuit 27 is adapted to be connected, by means of two- -way switches 31, respectively to a supply conlcoils 29 are energized.

a` receptacle, l the .corresponding control switch-17 will be lopened by reason vof the necessary initial rotary movement that` is required for the removal of the jumper'head and, since all the control switches' 17 are con-.

nected in series circuit 27, the train line 34 will be immediately disconnected from the high-potential supply conductors 35 bythe opening of all the contactor switches 30. It-

will also be observed that, with the described circuits, the train line 34 will remain de-energized unlessI all the jumpers of the train line are properly connected. It is obvious also that a time element willfbe provided whereby a train line must b e completely de-energized before the contact members 2 and`5 of the With 'the' above described arrangement, it will beobvious *thatY 'immediately any at-` tempt is madefto remove a jumper head from' receptacle and jumper become in any way Instead of an electrically-controlledinterlocking arrangement, as above described,

maticallyand an arrangement of the jumper receptacle for compressed air control which is illustrated in Fig. 4, will now be described with reference to this ligure and also to Figs. 5 and 6. -j

The contact switches 30 (Fig. 6) are of the pneumatically operated type, being connected to pistons 36 that operate in cylinders I 37. The cylindersy 37 are connected to a` spe- .cially provided train pipe 38 which is connected between coaches or units of the train by air jumpers 39.v The jumpers 39 are interlocked with the jumjrs 5 of the train line 34 which is adapted to be connected to the high-tension supply conductor 35 in each coachA or unit by means of the contactor switches 30. The contactor switches 30 are Each depending portion 41 is provided --f zie.

'- tactor switches will open and disconnect the' `plete removal ofthe terminal tion that, when all the with a bore 43 in direct communication with the train pipe 38, the bore 43 further comprovided with a horizontal bore 46 that com municates with lan arcuate opening 47. The terminal member 45 is adapted to be connected to the depending portion 41 by means of a locking bolt 48 having a screw-threaded end 49 engaging the depending portion 41 ofthe receptacle and also having a handle 50. The terminal member 45 is provided with a slot 51 to enable it to-be placed`in position or removed without the necessit ofthe comliolt 48.

When the terminal member 45 is in position beneath the portion 41, the open- 44 so that tween thel train pipe 38 and the jumper The interlock between the electrical jumper head 4. and the 4jumper receptacle 1 on the one hand and the pneumatic system on the other-hand is provided by means of the bolt 48, the extreme end 52 of which projects Within the boreof the re'- ceptaclepl andis adaptedto engage a hole or slot 53.' With this arrangement, it is necessary to insert the jumper head before the pneumatic jumper 39 can be connected.

It will be seen `from the foregoing descripj pneumatic jumpers are properly connected, the compressed air supplied to the train line 38 will operate each' of the pistons 36 -to close the contactor switches 30, thereby connecting the train line 34 to the high-tension .supply conductor 35. On the other hand, as soon as any attempt is made to rfelease the jumper 4 from receptacle 1 by unscrewing the bolt 48, a leak in the air system will be immediately established, and the pressure behind the pis'- tons 36 will be released, so that all the *contrain line A34l from the high-tension supply conductor.

A time element is provided by reason of b the fact that the end 52 of the bolt48 is -designed Fto project into the' hole or slot ,53 in the jumper head 4 to adistance correspond-y iiig to several threads of the portionl 39, the said threadsbeing preferably o f a relatively fine pitch so fthat the bolt must be'turned several times before the jumper head is released.

In'placesrwhere a receptacle 1 is not reuired to receive va jumper, for example, at

t e ends of the train, the train pipe 38 may be closed by means of a seal constituted by a dummy terminal member'54, which may be secured t'o the lid or cover 57, as illustrated in Fig. '4. The dummy terminalmember 54 is similar in shapeto the terminal member 45 ofthe pneumatic jumper 39, except that it has no air passage and simply constitutes an air-tight cover for the opening 44 and may be fastened b means of the bolt 48 in a manner already escribed in connection with the terminal member 45.

Furthermore, the previousl described interlocking arrangement may e provided by means of a projection 55 also carried on the lid o r cover 26 and designed, when said lid is in the closed position, to project into the lower part of the receptacle 1, the said projection 55'having a hole 56, the function of which -is exactly the same as the hole 53 in the jumper head 4.

I do not Wish to be restricted to the specitic circuits or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as it is evident that various modifications thereof maymI be made within the spirit and scope of t invention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed as are set forth in the appended claims.

of the circuit before the switch members are separated..

2. In a system comprising sections of a train-line conductor, in combination, complcmentary switch members for connecting the train-line conductor sections to establish a circuit, means for locking the switch members in engagement, and means actuated as said locking means is operated to effect the control of the circuit throughthe conductor sections, 'said control means being disposed to effect the closure of the circuits-after the switch members are in engagement and the opening of the circuit before the switch memers are separated. j 3. In a train-line jumper system, in combination, va plurality of train-line conductor sections, complementary switch members for connecting the conductor sections to establish a train-line circuit, electro-magnetic switches connected in the conductor sections, an actuating circuit for the -electromagnetic switches and an auxiliary switch for controlling` theswitch-actuating circuit disposed to be operated by one of tlie complementary switch members. l

4. In a train-line jumper system, in combination, a plurality of tra-in-line-conductor sections, complementary s witchmembers for connecting the conductor sections to establish l Y a tralnlme c1rcu1t, electromagnetic swltchesy A connected inthe conductqrsections, an acv tuating circuit for the electromagnetic switches, an auxiliary switch for controlling io j lment with oneanother.

switches connected Vin the conductor sections,

the switch-actuating circuit, meanse'for loc'ling the complementary switch members 1n engagement, said auxiliary switch andfsaid' an ,actuating circuit for the electromagnetic switchesand an auxiliary switch for controlling the switch-actuating circuit,said auxiliary switch being disposed for operation by oneof'thexcomplementary switch members v[when rotated vrelative to the other switchl memberl to establish a positive engagement between said switch members.

6. Ina train-line jumper system, in combination, a plurality of train-line conductor sections, complementary switch members for connecting the conductor sections to establish a train-line circuit, electromagnetic switches connected 1n the conductor sections, an actuating circuit for the electromagnetic switches,

an auxiliary switch for controlling .s aid switch-actuating circuit,said auxiliary switch being disposed for operation to its closed position after the train-'line conductor sections have been connected and its open position before thetrain-line conductor sections are disconnected, thereby to provide a' time element between the functioning of the complementary In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sub-- scribed my namethis 28th day of December WM. TRAIT GRAY.

switch sections and the actuation of the electromagnetic switches. 

